For a couple of years I always wondered who were The Doris Days. The last week I’ve got to know much more about them that I could imagine. I thought there was no chance to find anything about them aside from the fantastic “Another Day” that appeared on the ‘Uncle Arthur’s Pop Parlour’ compilation tape. First it was Uwe Firestation who told me that some members of the band formed Pacific, that great pop band that left a couple of records on Creation and a favourite song of mine, Barnoon Hill. Also he told me that there were plans for a Doris Days single on Grant Lyons’ ‘La Di Da’ label. It never happened and their only demo was elusive for him and me.

Since the first time I listened “Another Day” I was hooked. I knew this band had that something, that they must have got some great tunes hiding somewhere. It is surprising they didn’t release anything, the quality of this song ask for justice, for it to be a single of it’s own. Come on, at least a flexi!

Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff was the real name of Doris Day. She was born in 1924 and she is still alive. Did she knows there was a band in the 80s, on the other side of the Atlantic, that were named after her? She was quite popular indeed and our Doris Days weren’t that much. She was nominated to the Oscars back in the day for her song ‘Secret Love’ which appeared in a movie that she acted as well, “Calamity Jane” (1953). Talking of which… this weekend the Oscars are happening again and I’m not very excited by the movies that are nominated. I think, to start, it is disheartening that Benjamin Button is among the nominees. It’s not a bad movie, but it’s not great at all. In any case, there has been better motion pictures this past 2008. Oh well, the excuse is that America needs a new life-affirming movie, a new parable for these hard times. But giving it a nomination, I think, is too much. Aging backwards? Hmm. Let’s talk about this on Monday after we know who won. Now to “another day”, to our Doris Days.

This past week I got in touch with the great Dave Driscoll who put out the ‘Uncle Arthur’s Pop Parlour Tape’ and asked him many times about The Doris Days (sorry about that!). And what he did, is something to thank him forever! He has rescued a live gig of The Doris Days from one of his many tapes! A wonderful 8 song set at The Basement, a club in Brighton on October the 24th, 1987. That night they were supporting my favourite band ever, McCarthy! These recordings are something no one that loves pop should miss! Where to find it? Well, if you see the blogroll here there’s a blog called “Fruitier Than Thou” (any similarities to a Househunters song is pure coincidence). You just have to click there and you’ll end up at the fantastic blog that Dave runs. The Doris Days’ gig should be his last post. Listen carefully to great tracks as “No Time For Feeling Sad” (love the ‘I don’t believe it’ comment on the middle of the song!) or the trumpet driven “Feet Stuck Sound”. I wonder which of these were recorded in the demo!

On his blog, Dave gives us some details of the whereabouts of a member of the band, Dennis, who now is in a band called Shrift. I’ll try to get in touch with him! I’d die to ask him some questions about the band! And what about that the La Di Da single was going to actually be a split 7″ with all-time favourites The June Brides! I think it would have been a killer single, both bands, I believe, would have complemented perfectly. How wonderful would it be to rewind time and make Grant release this record. Both bands gorgeous trumpets on vinyl. Ebayers today would go ape for it!

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Listen
The Doris Days – Another Day

At last the new Hari and Aino single is out! It took quite a bit for it to happen, mostly because of the pressing plant being turtle-slow. I sent it to press in early December but I didn’t get the records till the first week of February. The release date was this past Sunday and by now all of you that pre-ordered should have gotten the record! Just in time to be a perfect gift for the past Valentine’s Day. Which brings to mind that fantastic Darling Buds’ tune that is Valentine. I think that is the catchiest and poppiest moment of the band fronted by Andrea Lewis. Twenty something years later, “A Considerate Kind of Home” may as well be one of the best moments of the Swedish five-piece that is fronted by our new favourite Andrea: Andrea Dahlkild.

The 2 song single has, as it’s B side, the song “Maple” which could easily be a terrific A side with it’s sugar sweet vocals and breezy guitars. Hari and Aino is the only Swedish band today that recalls the heyday of the first Swedish Invasion, that of early Acid House Kings, Cloudberry Jam, The Cardigans, Red Sleeping Beauty and my favourite, The Seashells. When I listen Andrea, the way she swoons, I’m reminded of the greatness of the 90s in Sweden. It also reminds me how forgotten are these sounds for us in the west but not in the east, as Cloudberry Jam is still HUGE in Japan. What’s with us? Happoly Hari and Aino are not forgotten at all and they are in great shape right now. Touring all over UK and playing even in Holland. In a couple of weeks they’ll visit Spain.

The band comprised by Andrea (vocals), Gunnar Jacobsson (drums, guitars, mandolin), Kristoffer Rengfors (bass, guitars), Robert Klaesson (guitars, bass, drums) and Pontus Leander (keyboards, glockenspiel and melodica) has been one of my favourite since 2007 when I heard for the first time their brilliant “Your Heartache and Mine”. We got to work on a 3″ CD single that year, and in March of 2008 we put out their debut album on Plastilina. It was a perfect album. No fillers. 10 great songs. It received many great reviews. Then we embarked on to work this new single, this time on 7″, Hari and Aino on glorious vinyl at last. We got the talent of Amy Ruppel, a great illustrator, to take care of the artwork. The result speaks for itself, it’s damn pretty!

Im praising and praising non-stop, and I think that’s the only thing I could do with Hari and Aino. This is one of my favourite indiepop bands in indiepop world right now. If you haven’t checked them yet, please do so. If you want to get the 7″ you can order directly from the Cloudberry site and many mailorders.

On another note, I’ve read some complaining on some Spanish blogs about the cost of the 7″s. Well, let me do a breakdown, postage is 5.40. The envelope and paypal fee are, together, more than a dollar. So if you notice, the record actually costs around 3.50, that’s the cost price. That’s what it costs me to get it done. If you want, I can send the record in between two pieces of cardboard and tape it all around. I bet it would be cheaper, maybe around 1.50 less, or 2. If you’d like to do that, send me an email and I can make it happen for you. Not a problem. I won’t be held responsible though if the record doesn’t show in pristine condition.

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Listen
Hari and Aino – A Considerate Kind of Home

Thanks so much to Pete Geoghegan for the interview!

++ You’ve made it to Wikipedia, meaning you are an important band in popular music. See, smaller bands’ pages get deleted. Are you surprised by it? How do you feel about it? What is that that Mighty Mighty left to POP!?

Important is not a word any of us would use. The internet is still a bit of a mystery to us all. We’re 20th Century boys. What is great is that people have access to our music. As for our legacy? Mick is such a great songwriter. If it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure the rest of us would have attempted to write. So on a very personal level I’m glad of that.

++ You said you started the band over a shared love of soul music, Postcard Records, The Velvet Underground and Socialist Worker Party politic. What was your favourite Postcard release? What do you think was Postcard’s legacy?

Mick and Hugh were the postcard fans. My favourite is Blue Boy by Orange Juice – raw power and emotion. Again – legacy? A label responsible for Orange Juice, Joseph K, Aztec Camera, The Go-Betweens….it speaks for itself.

++ How involved were you all with the Socialist Worker Party? How important was for the British to be involved in these parties during the Thatcher years?

There were no jobs, the miners were on stike, Nelson Mandella was still in jail, nuclear attack still iminent…the divide between left and right, rich and poor was a lot clearer in those days I think. It was dificult not to be politically active. There was a benefit gig to play every week! People seem more apathetic these days but that’s a generalisation. I wasn’t old enough to vote when I joined the band! It was a long time ago.

++ Who were Mighty Mighty? When and where did you got together? Why the name?

Mick (my brother) and Hugh met in the early 80’s and palyed in a band called Domestos. They formed Mighty Mighty (Curtis Mayfield song), Russell joined on bass, H on drums and I was last to join. I said to Mick one day, “If I buy a keyboard, can I join the band?”. He said, “Yes”. Simple as that.

++ How much luck was there to appear on the NME C86 tape? How did you end up there and how did it help the band after? What is the song “Law” about?

Luck? Yeah. It’s all based on luck. Ask any band. There are plenty of talented acts out there who we’ll never get to hear. It helped tremendously. We got a lot of exposure for a band with no manager or agent even, at that time. Law? I think it’s about a dangerous girl. You’ll have to ask Mick but he’ll probably insist on having a lawyer present!

++ Your first release was “Everybody Loves the Monkey”… what do you mean by “the monkey”? I was wondering about the Girlie label, who ran it? and why the catalog was organized by the word GAY?

Again, you’d have to ask my brother. The only monkeys I’ve ever seen live in zoos. We ran the label ourselves. It was very primitive and great fun. Russell and I got through quite a few Pritsticks putting the artwork together. Gaye is H’s partner. We used their house as head office. It was just a little “thankyou” to her.

++ How involved were you in the Birmingham scene? I’ve noticed you were really close to The Sea Urchins, with members of them appearing in your record sleeves. Which other bands were good friends with you? Was it a friendly scene? Or did you have any problems with any bands?

Don’t think we were ever really aware of a scene. There were bands we shared the bill with who we admired. Pigbros were great. Bridget, Robert and James (Sea Urchins) were friends. I played with them very briefly in my mum’s front room. My sister has a family with James’s baby brother so there’s still a close connection. I’m off to London to see Bridget at the weekend.

++ You did gig a lot! What were your favourite gigs, those that you still remember vividly?

Aberdeen. Everybody’s fave. The power/lights failed but we played on. It was just great fun. Fantastic crowd.

++ You were also part of the first flexi released by the legendary Sha La La! How did Throwaway ended on Matt Haynes label? Were you followers of his labels? Would you have liked to be in Sarah?

Pete: I haven’t a clue how we got on the flexi. I guess he asked us. I think we may have been more at home on Sarah but then if Chapter 22 hadn’t come along, we probably wouldn’t be talking to each other today.

++ How did you end up on Peel’s show?! Was that the biggest highlight of Mighty Mighty?

He played Monkey. That was the highlight as far as I was concerned. I remember Russell and I jumping up and down. Recording the sessions was fantastic. He insisted on introducing us on stage once. We still miss him. He can’t be replaced.

++When and how did you signed to Chapter 22 Records? Who were they?

Erm…1986? Craig Jennings…don’t think I spoke a word to him. I was very young and shy. I use that as an excuse quite a bit.

++ Early this decade you end up releasing all your back catalog on Vinyl Japan. Was there always interest from Japan? How rare are these CDs now? I’m still looking for copies of the BBC CD and “A Band from Birmingham”! How did you end up releasing in Vinyl Japan, an historic indie pop label!?

We had no idea we’d been picked up by them but were thrilled to be available on CD now as well as vinyl. Craig was behind it. Think it helped to claw back some of the studio costs for him. I don’t think we had much of a fanbase in Japan in the 80’s. It really was great to find out that people were still interested and listening. We’re trying to track down any remaining stock. We’ll let you know if we find anything!

++ Were any of you in other bands before, during or after Mighty Mighty?

We had a few funny side projects – Russell Burton’s 15 Minutes, The Velvet Underwear (feat. Bridget Sea Urchin), The Kitchen Cinq (feat. Derek Hammond of Yeah Yeah Noh – our friends and fave band – how could I forget them!). Hugh left and formed The Belfast Cowboys, releasing a mini-album on Swordfish. The rest of us played as The Raree Show, quite a different sound, all guitar and three lead singers! Pre-MM? The usual garage and college band sort of outfits. Nothing of note although Domestos were really quite good.

++ How important was the fanzine culture of the eighties? How involved were you?

The fanzines were crucial. Before the major weeklies picked up on you it was the enthusiasm of the fanzine editors that started to spread the word. No internet remember. Again, it was all part of the homemade/handmade aspect of music. It goes on now but the tools available are so sophisticated these days, it’s barely comparable.

++ What is that that you miss from the pop scene back then? How different do you think it’s from today? Do you still listen to indiepop?

It was a much smaller world and by that I mean there were fewer of us. It seems saturated these days and there are good and bad points to that. People were not really interested in forming or listening to guitar bands so you really did feel outside of the mainstream. It wasn’t conscious, it was just what we loved. We were extremely naive, as were most of the bands back then. Kids are a lot more savy these days and perhaps they need to be. I still listen to music. I still make music. Indiepop? Sure. If I like it, I like it.

++ Why did the band decided to split up? Will there be a reunion gig?

Hugh wanted to leave. We let him go. With hindsight, I think it was a mistake. We should have soldiered on. We had no deal, but we started without a deal. It’s quite easy to loose sight of why you do what you do. Hindsight though. Easy for me to say it now but I was very young and shy at the time….A reunion? We hope to play Indietracks this Summer. We’re scattered here, there and everywhere so it will take some organising. We’ll see.

++ Thanks so much! Anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks for talking to us. Looking forward to getting The Leaking Machine out on Cloudberry. Maybe we can find some lost MM tracks for you!!

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Listen
Mighty Mighty – Gemini Smiles

A week and a half ago Jennifer wrote me about some bands and tracks from a mix CD she got years ago. It included bands like Small Factory, Gangway and Dislocation Dance. But there were three songs that I didn’t have much of a clue. One of them was Zeitgeist’s “Freight Train Rain”. Until… I got to listen the track.

“I have heard this one before!”. The question was, “where?”. After a bit of searching, I found this same song, the exact same song, but this time being credited to The Reivers. Yeah, the fantastic jangle pop band from Austin, Texas. So what had happened? Why did two bands released the same song? A quick search showed me that it was again fault of the nonsense of major labels and careerist bands, that want to brand a name…

“As Zeitgeist, the quartet had built up a good following through an indie album and touring, but on the eve of releasing their first major label album, Capitol Records did a name search and found that the German word had already been trademarked by a New Age ensemble. Front man John Croslin recalls that the crystal-wearers “weren’t flexible at all” and so the band ended up with the new name, leaving their fan base baffled. “We could’ve changed it to `Zeitghost’ or something, but we didn’t,” says Croslin.

Who has ever heard about this Zeigeist new age band? no one! Why were they such suckers with their names? Aren’t New Age people generous, sharing and peaceful? And they can’t share a name? Huh! New Age is pure stupidity. That’s what it is. The power of crystals and all that neo-pagan nonsense, the universal truth, their spiritual bonding and so on, does that help our society? No. It’s a non-challenging way of life, it’s not reactionary, it’s not rebellious. It severely damages your brain. It’s going back to medieval times, to the alchemy, to faeries and even extraterrestrials. But let’s get back to our Zeitgeist.

Zeitgeist, originated in Austin, TX with a lineup that included: John Croslin- main songwriter, vocalist, guitars; Kim Longacre- vocals, guitars; Kelly Bell- bass; and Joey Shuffield- drums. Shuffield left the band during rehearsals and was replaced by Garrett Williams. By the time their first self-titled E.P. was released on db Records in 1984, Cindy Toth had replaced Bell as bass player. This new lineup would remain consistent throughout the remainder of the Reivers’ existence. Releasing the full-length album “Translate Slowly” the next year, they began to build a sizeable audience.

That little bio appears on The Reivers website which I recommend checking out. That same “Translate Slowly” is the one album I’ve heard from them. What has happened was that the CD version came out in 1987 when the band had already changed the name. Right! So that’s what created all these misunderstandings.

About the “Freight Train Rain” song. It was released as a 7″ single, not only in the US, but also in UK! In the US it appeared on the DB label from Atlanta, the same one that released The B-52’s “Rock Lobster” (?!) and many Pylon records. On the UK it appeared on Stiff Records, Kirsty McColl fans know this one. The B Side was “Hill Country Theme” (which appears in the album too). This 7″ appeared in 1985. But, let’s rewind a year, and we find out that Zeitgeist released the Zeitgeist EP, a 12″ record that included “Freight Train Rain”, “Wherehaus Jam” and “Electra”.

During 1985 they put out a couple more records. A 12″ including “Araby”, “Freight Train Rain” and “Things Don’t Change” was released. All of the songs were alternate versions. Also they contributed to a couple of local Austin compilations. Their biggest surprise that year was the fabulous Translate Slowly album. A great jangly pop album that includes many standout tracks like my favourite “Blue Eyes” and old favourites “Araby” and “Freight Train Rain”! This song is everywhere you’d say! But it’s a brilliant one, so why not have it all over the place? How does it sound? Jennifer told me: “The song I have is called ‘Freight Train Rain’ and has a really cool combination of guy and girl vocals. The guy sounds a lot like him from Even As We Speak. Someone is really pounding on an acoustic guitar making it sound really percussive. A girl is wailing in the background while the guy sort of sing-speaks. It sounds odd written down but it’s a fab song!” Don’t think there’s a better description than that!

1986 would see their last release under the Zeitgeist name, the 12″ promo-only single “Atlantic City”, which was released by Rhino. A cover of a Bruce Springsteen song. And then the name change happened. The Reivers kept releasing records and even appeared on nationwide TV. But that’s another story.

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Listen
Zeitgeist – Freight Train Rain

Thanks a thousand to Tommy Cherry for the interview!

++ How did The Bachelor Pad start? What were the members doing at that time?

I was a huge fan of Martin Cotter’s guitar. He was in the Wee Cherubs at the time. Then about 1985 a lot of things happened at once. The Cherubs broke up, I first heard The Jesus & Mary Chain and I went to a new club in Glasgow run by Bobby G called Splash One Happening…I instantly left the band I was in (The Oysters) and recorded some demos with Martin and also Graham. The songs were Jack and Julian, Girl of Your Dreams and Norwegian Wood. Splash One was amazing…the first time I walked through their doors I heard Treason by The Teardrop Explodes. I felt I had come home at last…every record they played was fantastic. It was a scene. Within a year every major town in the UK had a copy of Splash. Then came the fanzines…it was like punk but with groovy Warhol kids instead of all those lumpy Clash fans and Sid idiots. I have a lot of fond memories of that period. We sent the demo to various fanzines and got a good response. Offers to play live meant we had to expand the line up. Fortunately, I was sharing a house with a keyboard wizard David Harris (who is a genius!) and Willie Bain from my old band The Oysters stepped in to play bass. Our first gig, thanks to Jim Honey of Simply Thrilled was with Baby Lemonade and Jessie Garon and The Desperadoes. It was a gas. We signed up for a record deal with Mike Stout the same day Andy Warhol died so he called the label WarholaSound.

++ Who or what were the band’s main influences? Was it a dream at all to have your own bachelor pad?

Oh gosh! I think David Harris got it right when he said it was a head-on collision between The Buzzcocks and Syd Barrett. But we used to just chuck everything in there. Martin and Graham were big Smiths fans, I worshiped at the alter of psychedelia and David was just plain encyclopedic! The house we shared in Queen Square, Strathbungo was the closest I’ve been to a pig in shit…happy, that is!

++ What was the songwriting process like? I ask as most songs were credited Cherry-Cotter. Was it an easy task?

We did co-write a couple of songs, but mostly that was a Beatlesque conceit. Competition was much more rewarding than co-operation…a lesson I was to learn at a cost in real life too.

++ Was the band too self indulgent or was that one of their strengths?

Everything we did was to please ourselves. The Self was all.

++ The production on “Tales of Hoffman” was pretty extreme on some songs, was that deliberate and would you do it the same way again?

Our second single Do It For Fun was the most fucked up production ever, so after that the album sounded as smooth as a baby’s bum to me. But then, I was incredibly stoned at the time. I wouldn’t do any of it the same way again…once was enough!

++ The Coroners Wife seems very different from the other songs, how did it come about? Any chance the video for this song will appear on Youtube?

As far as I can remember The Coroners Wife was the first track recorded for the album sessions and it was mostly just Martin and me. We used a drum machine and later David did some overdubs. It was also a brand new made-up-as-we-went-along-in the studio type song, whereas most of them had been played before by the band in a live situation. I loved The Coroner’s Wife and petitioned to have it released as a single. Don’t know what happened there. I had no idea that anyone was interested in this stuff anymore, I’d see if I can dig it out and will post it.

++ You also recorded another video, for Country Pancake! When and where was this recorded? What do you remember of the recording session for this one? Was it true that it was included in an NME tape?

Country Pancake was recorded in 1989 and was meant to be our third single for Mike Stout’s WarholaSound. This never happened due to the collapse of the independent Cartel distribution (Red Rhino etc). But that is why a video was shot and that’s why we gave it to the NME for inclusion in their CND benefit video which also included Sonic Youth and I think Primal Scream. It was the first proper promo film we had ever done and it was filmed at the same studio where we did all our recording, Toad Hall Studios in Glasgow by Ali and Beanie. Beanie (Ian Carmichael) went on to form the classy indie-dance unit One Dove and is one great engineer and producer. We shared a great love of Sparks, T-Rex and David Bowie with him and he was always great fun to work with. It was a snowy day in January and we pretty much just made it up as we went along. When we had finished we noticed a box of dressing up clothes in the corner and spontaneously tried everything on. Ali kept filming it and speeded it up in the edit and that’s how it ended with the notorious “frocking-up” sequence. The ”Zaba daba daba” chant at the end was a reference to The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s The Man In The Jar. S.A.H.B. were the first and greatest band I ever saw live…still!

++ Was it planned that the debut single had one song with a chorus going “Hey Hey Hey” (Jack & Julian) and another with a chorus going “Yeah Yeah Yeah” (Albums of Jack)?

Yeah. I think they are both powerful and holy rock and roll mantras. Yeah Yeah Yeah is also one of my favorite Alice Cooper songs from the mighty Killer album and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are also one of my favorite bands. Karen O is the female Ziggy.

++ How important was Jim Kavanagh for the band?

Jim was the first person to ever show us any interest. Although he only really dug one aspect of the band…the pop. He didn’t really get our rock side. But that was ok. I don’t think we should have signed up for his Egg Records though, and it did all end in tears. I was at my wits end by then and was a bit heavy on him at the time which I truly regret, so if you’re out there reading this Jim I’d like to offer my sincere appy-polly-logies. I should have broke up the band when Martin left and we limped on past our sell-by date for a while. It all made me…um, less than happy, shall we say? But I am glad his thing has had a new life on-line. He deserves it for all his sheer enthusiasm.

++ “Tales of Hoffman” was released on a pretty well known label, Imaginary Records, home of bigger bands such as The Chameleons or Cud. How did you end up in this label and how different was the relationship between you and them compared to the one with Egg Records?

Imaginary Records was a weird thing. We’d had a really close relationship with Mike Stout for a couple of years. Then he arranged for Imaginary to put out the album and we duly toured with Cud (who were awful! Nice guys but music-wise, just awful!) and we never saw or heard from Mike again! He just vanished off the face of the earth. I heard a rumour that he was seen working as a croupier in a Singapore casino! I don’t think there was any truth in it but that’s how odd it was. Wherever you are Mike, all the best. You were a diamond geezer. Imaginary were just that…imaginary! They didn’t seem to exist. They never made any contact with us at all. We used to joke about using a ouija board to get in touch. The lack of support caused us to drift which led to Martin leaving and the whole endgame of The Pad. It was all very odd but somehow all very typical too.

++ You had “Girl of Your Dreams” on a Sha La La flexi which are quite legendary especially as this label will later become Sarah Records. Were you a follower of these labels? What do you think of these C86 sounds being mythified?

That flexi made it as Single Of The Week in Sounds (a popular UK music weekly) so that was really funny. It also got us a lot of gigs up and down the country. I loved Matt Haynes fanzine Are You Scared To Get Happy. He was a real passionate ranter and not at all twee. He was also really funny. My one big regret is not getting to know him better. I think The Bachelor Pad should really have been on Sarah. It was our natural and spiritual home. I also loved Bob Stanley’s Caff fanzine. It was filthy and hilarious. Real punk rock Joe Orton sort of vibe. These were my sort of people. Good home folks.

++ Maybe you can help me on this one, do you remember anything from the Milky Way flexi? I can’t find any information about it aside that you had Sunshower Sun included on this one!

I have no memory of that whole episode at all…I have a feeling that Jim and Martin might be the ones to ask.

++ I always wondered about many of your songs as they include people’s names like “Meet the Lovely Jenny Brown”, “The Albums of Jack”, “Jack and Julian”, “Jack McLean in disguise” and “Abu Nidal’s Bus”. Are these songs based in real people too? Are these true stories? Is it always about the same Jack?

There was a bit of a trend for name-songs then. I think it probably came from the whole Lou Reed/Velvet Underground thing, y’know…Sweet Jane, Caroline Says and all that. We all wanted to be in the Velvets in those days. All the clubs aspired to be like the pary scene from Midnight Cowboy too! Lemme see, Jenny Brown, she was real. She had a show on Scottish Television at the time called Scottish Books which I used
to watch after rehearsals. I think I developed a crush on her. Jack McLean was a drink sodden, misogynist journalist with The Glasgow Herald that Martin had a strange love/hate relationship with. Jack and Julian was more archetypal. I had been reading about the origins of old English nursery rhymes like Jack and Jill and Jack just keeps cropping up all over the place. Jack is everyman…Jack o’ Lantern, Spring-heel Jack, Jack in The Box. Remember that bit in Performance when Harry Flowers says “I know you. You’re Jack The Lad”! The Albums of Jack was a Martin title and the line doesn’t actually appear in the song. It actually went by the working title “My Love of Giraffe”! which was the name of a cheap toy rip-off of My Little Pony! The night before we recorded it Martin and I were watching the worst movie ever made, You Can’t Stop The Music starring The Village People and one of the characters said “wait till you hear the albums of Jack” and Martin said that we should call the song that. That is actually my favorit Pad song. It still makes all the hairs on my plotty stand endwise.

++ What do you consider was the highlight of The Bachelor Pad?

For me, it has to be the gig we did in Lincon with The Telescopes. That and Grant Morrison writing us into the plot of a John Constantine Hellblazer comic book. A tape of our second single Do It For Fun is so noisy that we jam the nuclear bomb and save the world. What a gas to be in a DC comic. Thanks Grant. We used to do some gigs with Grant’s band in the early days and on Grant’s first television interview I dressed up as a nurse and administered him pills throughout…it was duly banned!

++ Will we ever see all the Bachelor Pad’s tracks on a retrospective CD?

I dunno…do you want to put it out?

++ Why did the band call it a day? Did any of you get involved with any other bands after?

We should have called it a day the day Martin left as the whole thing was based on our dualist energy…we were Jack and Julian I suppose. Be careful what songs you write, they may come true! In 2000 I recorded an albums worth of songs with Stewart Christmas under the name The Whores (of Perception) and we played a couple of gigs at the 13th Note in Glasgow. But that is a whole other story, in fact I could write a book about it! Julian Cope was heavily involved. We imploded as fast as we created, yet despite this it was probably the best band I was ever in and the music was superior to anything else I ever did. If you are interested I will send you some MP3s. I think we may have been truly before our time!

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Listen
The Bachelor Pad – Jack and Julian

Thanks so much Roger Källs for the interview!

++ Hi Roger! Tell me how did some Norrköping kids got together and made amazing guitar pop? What was that reason that made you make such music?

In that time most kids either played heavy metal or progressive rock(post punk with swedish lyrics)but I was really into the 60’s stuff and powerpop such as the Jam, Blondie and Paul Collins Beat. It was quite a hard time to convince my friends to go that way.

++ How did you know all the band members? Were you high school friends or maybe neighbors? Why, during the whole Saturday Kids lifespan, was there so many lineup changes?

The first setup were the only ones that really dared to play good f*****ng popsongs with a simplicity and stand for it.Those were the people that also a few years later started indiepop fanzines and brought us live acts from England such as the Wedding Present. The music scene in Norrköping turned in to be a kind of a collective (music and arts) and we all knew each other well. Some people played in one band 1 or 2 years and then they’d went on to another band. It wasn’t such a big deal. I wanted to go on with my ideas and some wanted to go Madchester And probably I was a real angry and stubborn young man as well.

++ Where does the name Saturday Kids come from?

The Jam. Saturday’s kids. The song was about working class kids who only lived for the weekends. It was about us.

++ It was 1987, were the sounds from England’s C86/indiepop popular in Sweden? What was the way for Swedish kids to know new music? Did you have some kind of John Peel there? Maybe you had great record stores?

We had a fanzine called Sound Affects, a local radio channel with the same name, a record store, Pet Sounds, a record label, Ceilidh and lots of kids that arranged concerts. Our John Peels were Terry Ericsson and John L Byström from Sound Affects (RIP) and OIa Hermansson (the founder of Ceilidh who discovered Cardigans)

++ What other bands from the late eigthies in Sweden would you recommend?

Wannadies, Popsicle, This Perfect Day

++ Your first release was “Four Beautiful Songs in D’d”(1990) on the SND label. Which songs were included in this 7″? Who were the SND label? I haven’t found much info from them!

Our first release was actually on a Ceilidh compilation but after that it was “Four beautiful ..” Happiness, Me and my brother, Affected Faces and Down. The SND label was the other record label in Norrköping by the time. A bit more into the progressive rock scene. Less indiepop. SND stands for “skit ner dig”…..shit in your pants…..as I said..more rock

++ After that you end up releasing the 5″ “Things Do Happen” on Ceilidh. How did you end up signing to local label Ceilidh? Were they friends?

Yes and fans. Ola Hermansson always preferred us as the best live act at that time.

++ What about the Pet Sounds tapes? These are quite rare items, sought after by collectors. Do you remember how did you have some songs on those compilations? What other Swedish fanzines were there at the time? Was there a big fanzine culture in Sweden?

The Pet sounds tapes are so rare that I’ve almost never heard of them. True! There were fanzines but I seldom read them. Just Sound Affects really. Can’t remember the names.

++ How difficult was to gig or release records for a pop band back then? I have this idea, which could be wrong, that those days Sweden was infested by metal bands and it was hard to get your stuff out to wider audiences.

It was hard but it created a “do it yourself” attitude. No band from Norrköping were big in a wider meaning.

++ How many bands have you been involved with? I know that now you dedicate your time to Northern UpBeat and Absolute Beginners. Any others?

The Way (my first), The Gwen Stacys (directly after the split from Saturday Kids).

++ How do you feel about the incredible explosion of Swedish pop bands during this decade? It’s impressive, really! How would you try to explain this phenomenon?

A mixture of municipalities that were willing to help us with cheap rehearsal rooms and studios (we could get some fundings through the studies circle organizations). A Swedish phenomenon and our interest in all Anglo-Saxon culture??? Cold weather??

++ Having recorded for different formats, what do you prefer, vinyl or CD? and why?

CD……. I’m lazy and it seems to have a longer life.

++ It was just the time of the first big Swedish indiepop wave with bands such as Cloudberry Jam, Club 8 or even The Cardigans when Saturday Kids split. Why was that?

I was a bit bored. We all had developed different taste in music. I wanted to create a more narrow concept. A pure mod band (the Gwen Stacys). So I did!

++ I want to visit Sweden badly, but never really thought about going to your town, if I was visiting Norrköping and I could only visit one place, where should I go?

My place!

++ Anything else you’d like to add?

Keep on keeping on

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Sunday is almost over for me. It’s been a long day, one where I woke up late, had fever all afternoon and now I’m just feeling a bit better after a Nyquil induced nap. It was still a productive day. I got to finish reading Ali Smith’s “Boy Meets Girl” that Emma recommended me. I’m still confused by it, is Imogen a girl or a boy or a girlboy? Also I finished sorting all Hari and Aino 7″ sleeves with inserts and polybags, 500 of those. If you want to order before the release date (February 15th) you can do it now. On top of that, after some pizza, got to watch Kiki’s Delivery Service. I’ve seen many Miyazaki movies and this one was no disappointment. And maybe the best news today was winning Honeytraps’ “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Be Beaten” flexi for 1.99 GBP.

The afternoon soundtrack, while I was in bed, was The Jasmine Minks, who’s “The Revenge of…” has been on the CD player for many days. And the night ‘track, while working on some freelance, has been the three songs I know from the Liverpudlian band I-Lands. Right now I’ve stopped working to watch the highlights of the Portsmouth – Liverpool game. Liverpool has won 3-2 thanks to a goal from “el niño” on the 91st minute. I wondered if the ex-members of I-Lands were footie followers.

The main person in the band was Andy Warren (who isn’t the Monochrome Set’s Andy Warren, 99% sure). He had been in some post punk bands in the early 80s like Systems (where Jem Kelly from Lotus Eaters played!) and Change of Image. In 1981 Change of Image decides it’s time for literally, changing the image, getting into a more pop sound and they decide to call themselves Islands of Dance. The band was formed by Stuart McBain on bass, Howard Lacey on drums, Mike Saunders on guitars, Ruth Evison on keyboards and the day’s hero Andy Warren. It seems no recordings were made. Fast forward two years to 1984. Now they do record some songs, a single, but it was under a new name: I-Lands. Why did they change names? Well, the band had lost many members in 1983 and some other came on board. Lacey, Saunders, Evison left and Joanne Griffith (vocals), Darren Bell (guitars), Bernie Mulcahey (keyboards), and Warrens old band-mate in the Systems Tony Elson (drums) joined. Tony Elson didn’t last long and, on springtime, Mark Coleridge joined to play drums. With him in the band, the name change was official, they were the I-Lands and in October, that same year, the first and only single “In the Rain” is released.  The A side, “In the Rain”, is fantastic!, and it makes me wish that one day I’ll find it for a reasonable price on eBay, never seen it listed though. The sound reminds me of The Wild Swans of course, it was that time of the eighties you know. Breezing keyboard and a bouncy bassline, some epic-ness thrown in there, and that elegant English-ness that indiepop bands would have later in C86 times. That was what I-Lands produced. The B side, “Velvet Glove” is even greater! It’s such a top tune, can listen to it all the time, and, it even has at the end, this beautiful flute solo. Brilliant boy/girl choruses and a bass to die for. The simple guitars, the dreamy keyboards… should I keep going? Maybe I’m having some feverish delusions? Impossible!

Last track they recorded was “Back before the Pain” (another amazing track!) which appeared on a compilation called “Jobs for the Boys”. This was released in January 1985 on Natalie Records. A legendary compilation LP that included names as This Final Frame and Politburo, the best of Merseysides’ underground. After this release I guess the band broke up but I haven’t been able to find information. What is known is that Coleridge, the drummer, left and joined Afraid of Mice. Maybe that last lineup change made Andy call it a day? Even if that was true, this doesn’t solve our mystery! Did he ever get into recording more pop songs after that? Were this 3 tracks the only recordings of I-Lands? Maybe there are demos or some sessions? Perhaps someone has some long lost improbable Islands of Dance recordings? Or maybe from his other bands? I would really like to know more from this band, three perfect songs just as the three goals Liverpool scored today.

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I-Lands – Back Before the Pain

Friday night, I’m working the late shift. The newspaper’s in-house activity is usually very quiet during weekends. All graphics have been done beforehand and unless there’s an emergency, a last minute catastrophe, some serious shooting or god descending among the mortals, on Saturday and Sunday you’ll get old news. When I was in school, I used to play soothsayer with some girls telling them what would show on the front cover on the weekend. That always impressed. The future was always built over the past and the past was the future. And the present? Well, 1, 2, 3, it’s already the past.

The past is always haunting me. I have a little obsession with it. When I was a kid I always thought I was going to be an archaeologist. My house was built over an ancient cemetery and a block away there was a huge mud city (Huaca Pucllana) many centuries old. My dad told me that when he was a teenager that place wasn’t closed for tourism. It was open, and he would go biking there and often find some ancient remains, vases, combs, textiles and even mummies! That was inspiring for me, that under my feet I could always find lost treasures. And that’s how I feel about The Holsteins today.

Right in front of my nose lies a treasure chest containing two songs of this Belfast band. That’s what the “25 Silver Jubilee” compilation on Germany’s Meller Welle Produkte is. “A Year and a Day” and “Count the Stars” are on repeat right now. I have my huge headphones on and, while they warm my ears a bit on this cold day, I’m enjoying these lovely tracks. Why have they been forgotten? I don’t get it. They had proper releases plus many compilation appearances. They were played by Peel but not even a mention on Twee.net. The past has had no mercy and buried them six feet under. Time for some digging. Prepare the shovels.

After some time researching, the only source of information I could find was this complete website with a large bio and a short interview, which I’ve read eagerly. Here are some important bits and pieces:

* The first album “Angel Train”, was released in 1994 by the German label Bullet! Records. It is a vinyl only 10 song album that seems got many favorable reviews. The track Drugstorm was played on Peel that same year. The record sold out.

* As the album was such a success, the label offered a second release, this time on CD. In 1995 the band releases “Pop-Gun Riot”, a 5 track EP. And again the reviews were positive.

*By 1997 The Holsteins were Niamh Rooney on vocals, Davy Burton on lead guitar, Pete Major on rhythm guitar, Brian McNamara on drums and Chris Birt on bass. Under this lineup they released their last record, the 8 track album “Sub Rosa”, on Shiny Records, which seems their most popular release as it’s the only one listed in RateYourMusic.

*Thanks to this album they caught the German popkids’ attention again and were asked to contribute, these two songs I keep listening, to the Meller Welle compilation. And on top of that, they did a split 7″ with die Blumen des Bosen on the Kactus label.

But what happened after that? Can it be that after many releases they fall into oblivion? And what about the questions I have? like, why did they name themselves after the black and white patterned cows, the world’s highest production dairy animal? Do they find it funny that there is a Holstein region in Germany, the country where they were most popular? Would I ever come around those two early demo cassettes they recorded? Would some crazy person take advantage and offer me their albums for 50 dollars each? All I really know is that I want to listen more from Niamh’s swooning voice. But if you know where the past has left our Northern Irish pop comrades please inform about it! Don’t be silent! You don’t want to be the undertaker’s accomplice, do you?

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Listen
Holsteins – A Year and A Day

Stolen Picassos in Dallas, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Prague, New York. All of them millions of dollars worth. Most of them are drawings and paintings. Every year, somehow, pieces from the Spanish artist are stolen from different museums. It’s surprising as museums invest in the latest security systems, la creme de la creme of video cameras and laser alarms. At least that’s what movies have made me believe.

But what about these Stolen Picassos from Perth, Australia? Were they complices with the Picasso Twins? Do you know their whereabouts? Maybe it’s time to paste some reward posters, a la old desperado fashion, throughout the western Aussie city. Every electric post with it’s own “Most Wanted” photocopied white paper. Maybe this way we’ll find them. What’s the ransom you ask? One gorgeous 12″ on Kim and Dom’s Easter Records. Framed, it will look as good as a Picasso. Trust me. Martin Gambie on guitars and vocals, Graham Hope on bass, Brad Bolton on guitars, Sandra Morgan on keyboards and vocals, and Duncan McMillan on drums, where are they hiding?

My favourite Picassos have always been those from his Blue Period output. The sadness, the dreamy shades of blue  (I think it’s pretty obvious I like blue), the ethereal and unsmiling figures, have always gave me some sense of comfort compared to his later eye popping cubism. That same comfort comes up to me everytime I listen to the Stolen Picassos. Their intimate and homey sound, the boy/girl vocals whispering to me, it feels like if they were just playing here in my bedroom while I’m drinking this lager before going to bed.

I have only heard two songs, the 12″ is a bit out of my reach, in Musicstack it’s going for 112 dollars. Tough! Tonight I’m playing the songs I have: The Little Words and Save a Little Piece. I’ve seen a short post about them some days ago on the Fire Escape Talking blog. There are some interesting facts there about the band like that of Richard Bolton forming later the brilliant The Rainyard, and that of a single scheduled for 1989 on the Bus Stop Label. Mind you, the 12″ was recorded (in Shelter Studios) and released on 1987. It included four songs, “Everything Will Turn”, “Save a Little Piece”, “The Little Words” and “Time Will Tell”. Wonder if one day I’ll get to listen to the other two. What about that single for Bus Stop? Was it recorded? If so, where are those tracks?!

Any help or information about the whereabouts of these indiepop bandits would be great! Time for interrogation!

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Listen
Stolen Picassos – Save a Little Piece

I have a new neighbor since last week. It’s a little gray kitten. It has made the flower pot outside my door his home. Everyday when I go out or come back from work I see it sleeping there. He opens his eyes and looks at me annoyed as if the keys’ chiming woke him up. He is not like those other cats in the neighborhood that when they see me they run away. No, this one has invaded my territory and doesn’t show any sign of being scared of my, almost, two meters.

I have never trusted cats. They have this haughty attitude that no other animal has. Maybe because they can always scavenge for their food, because they don’t really need to be petted (unless they are lazy cats). They don’t need a person around. They can be wild and feel fine chasing mice. I do wonder though if this big population of stray cats in Miami Beach would chase or fight the raccoon or possum population that inhabit these neighborhoods. I often hear at night some cat fights, but would these skinny cats show their scratching and street fighting techniques to a smelly possum? I bet not.

Cucho, must have escaped from that life and prefers the commodity of the flower pot on a second floor, far away of the hazards of the streets. Yes, I’ve christianized the cat and now his name is Cucho. I guess he doesn’t care. He used to hang out with the cats from the first floor, who might as well be his siblings. It’s the Top Cat gang but I prefer the Spanish names where Top Cat is Don Gato, Benny the Ball is Benito Bodoque (I think this name is genius), Fancy Fancy is Panza (yes, like Sancho Panza), Spook is Espanto (same name as one of the best Spanish bands today), Brain is Demostenes (yes, as the Greek statesman) and Choo Choo is Cucho, as my neighbor. All the gang have quite big banquets everyday thanks to an Argentinean lady that lives in the first floor. Milk and wishkas are served generously in some aluminum bowls just next to our mailboxes. What a life! is this Cat Heaven? Only Josephine could know.

I’m not sure how true is the folklore that cats don’t need to bath. That they just lick themselves clean and that’s it. That doesn’t sound very hygienic to me.  So far he hasn’t done any mess or got all muddy after this week’s pour. I’ll give you my flower pot, but let me tell you kitty, I don’t expect you to be a bathing beauty but if we are going to live so close to each other, let’s keep it friendly (and clean).

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Listen
Bathing Beauty & Sir Cecil Savoy – Let’s Keep it Friendly